Process of precipitating sugar.



A. M. DUPERU.

PROCESS OF PRECIPITATING SUGAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. I914.

Patented June 5, 1917.

3 vwento'o AEPHONSE M. DUPEEU, OF OXN i A rnocnss or rnncrrrra'rme sue.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ALPHoNsn M. DUPERU, of Oxnard, in the county of Ventura and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Precipitating Sugar; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

. such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to effect economies in the precipitation of sugar from' impure aqueous solutions by the use of calcium oxid in the form of powdered. lime.

According to my invention the lime pre viously ground to a fine powder is finely and evenly divided by a strong air current of high velocity and is violently blown in a finely divided state against a comparatively large surface of the aqueous solution which is kept in constant circulation but at a slow speed so as to reduce foaming to a minimum:

The circulating air by contacting with the comparatively large surface of the cold solu-' tion is cooled thereby, and it, in turn, cools the lime before the latter enters the solution. This greatly reduces the amount of lime necessary to precipitate the sugar, since the colder the lime powder the smaller the quantity required.

In practice, the impure aqueous solution presents a relatively large horizontal surface which is constantly changing under the slow circulation, and this solution is keptat the necessary low temperature by any suitable means. The air is projected at a high velocity by means of a rapidly revolving fan, and such air in taking up the lime divides it into a fine powder and distributes it over. the surface of the solution, and preferably against the rising current to thereby prolong the surface contact. The intake of the fan is connected with the t'op of the receptacle so that the air current will constantly be cooled by the cold solution, and be at a reduced temperature when it contacts with the lime, which latter is fed to the air current at whatever rate is desired.

. While it is manifest that the process herein. described may be carried out with any preferred form of apparatus, yet in the ac- Specification of Letters Patent.

form of a saccharate. by maintaining a strong air blast the pre- Eatented June 5, 191?.

Application filed may 20,1914. Serial No.'8895,8$9. a

companying drawing I have shown a vertical sectional view of one form-of apparatus.

The receptacle 1 is provided with a cool '55 ing chamber 2 through which extend pipes 3 and a central passageway 4: wherein is located a pump or propeller 5 which may be driven by known means. The pipe connections 6 are for the admission and discharge of the cooling agent by which the solution is kept at the desired temperature. The width of the receptacle is such that the solution presents a comparatively wide surface above the cooling chamber. The lime is fed from a hopper 7 by means of a screw 8, and at'the! end of the latter the lime is taken up by the air current created by fan 9, which latt r is revolved at a high speed so as to cause; the lime tobe violently blown intothe re-K Z0 ceptacle in a finely divided state. The in\ take of the fan is connected by a pipe 10 tot "the top of the receptacle. Beneath the air 7 and lime inlet, and depending within the receptacle, is a deflector 12, which is 10- ca'ted over the central passage 4 sons to distribute the lime over a comparatively large surface of the solution and to preferabl engage with the rising current as distinguished from the down current.

An air reservoir 13 is connected to the top of the receptacle, and in the two branch pipes forming the connection are check valves 14 and 15, reversely arranged, to permit of the alternate entrance and discharge of the cold air into the. reservoir as the apparatus is charged and discharged.

T have found that it is advantageous to control the blower and the lime feeding mechanism from a common point, and in the drawing I have shown conventional means for accomplishing this purpose, but as such means may be varied at pleasure further reference thereto is unnecessary.

The advantages of-my present invention will be readily appreciated by those familiar with the art of precipitatin sugar in the It wil be noted that viously powdered lime may be evenly divided and violently distributed over the cooled impure solution,.and by reason of the relatively large surface of the latter the air is continuously cooled and it in turn cools v the lime, thereby reducin the'quantity re vided lime against tions,'cons1sting in circulating an aqueous solution upward through tubesand downward through a passageway arranged centrally of sald tubes, and blowing finely dithe columns of solution .issuing upward from said tubes:

a cylindrical reaction tank, cooling. means 2. Apparatus for precipitating sugar from impure aqueous solutions comprising maeaao' J in said tank, means for circulating an imtion flows from the periphery to the center, V

and means for directing a stream of finely divided lime against the solution, said stream being directed downward] and outward from the center of the tank.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification 1n the scribing witnesses.

ALrHoNsE M. nUrE RU.

Witnesses: FmncrsS. MAGUIRE,

RED 1.

2s presence of two sub- 

